Happy End (1970 album)

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Happy End
HappyEnd1970albumcover.jpg
Studio album by Happy End
Released August 5, 1970
Recorded April 9 – 12, 1970
Studio Aoi Studios
Genre Folk rock
Length 35:54
Label URC Records
Producer Masaki Hata
Happy End chronology
Happy End
(1970)		 Kazemachi Roman
(1971)Kazemachi Roman1971
Singles from Happy End
  1. "Juuni Gatsu no Ame no hi"
    Released: April 1, 1971

Happy End (Japanese: はっぴいえんど Hepburn: Happī Endo?) is the self-titled debut album by Japanese folk rock band Happy End. Because their third album is also self-titled, although written in English, this first album is also known by the name "Yudemen" (ゆでめん?) after the sign depicted in the cover art.[1]

All the album's lyrics were written by Takashi Matsumoto, with the exception of "Tobenai Sora" (Haruomi Hosono) and "Ira Ira" (Eiichi Ohtaki).[2] Five bonus tracks were added when the album was included in the March 31, 2004 Happy End Box set.[3]

Reception

This album marked an important turning point in Japanese music history, as it sparked what would be known as the "Japanese-language rock controversy" (日本語ロック論争 Nihongo Rokku Ronsō?). There were highly publicized debates held between prominent figures in the Japanese rock industry, most notably the members of Happy End and Yuya Uchida, regarding whether Japanese rock music sung entirely in Japanese was sustainable (previously, almost all popular rock music in Japan was sung in English). The success of Happy End's debut album, as well as their following album Kazemachi Roman, proved the sustainability of Japanese-language rock in Japan.[4]

Julian Cope, English musician and author of Japrocksampler, referred to 1970's Happy End as clearly the band's best work.[5] Both Cope and HMV Japan noted similarities to work by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.[1][5]

The song "Shin Shin Shin" inspired the 2013 film of the same name.[6]

Track listing

Side 1
No. Title Lyrics Music Length
1. "Haruyo Koi" (春よ来い, "Come, spring!") Takashi Matsumoto Eiichi Ohtaki 4:17
2. "Kakurenbo" (かくれんぼ, "Hide and seek") Takashi Matsumoto Eiichi Ohtaki 4:32
3. "Shin Shin Shin" (しんしんしん, "Newly-fallen snow") Takashi Matsumoto Haruomi Hosono 3:06
4. "Tobenai Sora" (飛べない空, "Unflyable sky") Haruomi Hosono Haruomi Hosono 2:44
5. "Kataki—Thanatos o Sōkiseyo!" (敵タナトスを想起せよ!, "Remember your enemy—Thanatos!") Takashi Matsumoto Haruomi Hosono 3:00
Side 2
No. Title Lyrics Music Length
6. "Ayakashi no Dōbutsuen" (あやか市の動物園, "Ayaka City Zoo") Takashi Matsumoto Haruomi Hosono 2:48
7. "Juuni Gatsu no Ame no hi" (12月の雨の日, "A Rainy Day in December") Takashi Matsumoto Eiichi Ohtaki 3:27
8. "Ira Ira" (いらいら, "Nervousness") Eiichi Ohtaki Eiichi Ohtaki 3:15
9. "Asa" (朝, "Morning") Takashi Matsumoto Eiichi Ohtaki 2:29
10. "Happy End" (はっぴいえんど) Takashi Matsumoto Haruomi Hosono 3:26
11. "Zoku Happppy Eeeend" (続はっぴ-いいえ-んど, "Continued Happppy Eeeeend") Takashi Matsumoto Haruomi Hosono 2:20

Personnel

References

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